Birds, such as poultry and fowl, are conventionally eviscerated, dressed and sold either as a whole bird or as severed parts, i.e., breasts, thighs, drumsticks, wings, etc. One of the parts which is sometimes separated and sold is the bird wing, which comprises a middle section, a tip section attached to one end of the middle section, and a drumette section attached to the other end of the middle section. FIG. 1 shows a typical bird wing, including the tip section 12, the middle section 14, and the drumette section 16.
It is generally well known that bird wings are not, in and of themselves, as commercially valuable as some other bird parts, such as breasts and drumsticks, primarily due to the relatively small amount of wing meat available, the size and location of the bones and joints, and the relatively high proportion of skin, bone and joints to wing meat. In addition, the prominence and configurations of the bones and joints within a wing make it more difficult for the wing meat to be removed and consumed, particularly in the setting of a social event, since generally wings are considered to be finger food.
In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for the development of innovative meat products, particularly meat products which require less time for preparation, and which include little or no waste. There has also been an ever-increasing demand for meat products which are boneless or relatively boneless, making such products easier or more convenient to prepare and consume. Hence, products such as boneless chicken breasts, chicken tenders, etc., have enjoyed tremendous commercial success and have obtained enhanced popularity for the respective bird parts from which they are prepared.
Although products such as "hot wings" and "Buffalo wings" have been developed in order to enhance the popularity of wings, bird wings, in general, have not been particularly amenable to enhanced commercial processing and/or preparation methods for reasons related primarily to the relatively small amount of wing meat in relation to the bones, joints, etc., and the difficulty involved in processing the wings in order to make the consumption of the available wing meat more convenient.
The present invention comprises a method for making a unique food product from the middle section of a bird wing. The food product comprises an elongated portion of boneless wing meat attached on one end to the tip section of the wing. The tip section thereby serves as a "handle" for convenient grasping and holding by a person consuming the boneless middle section, thereby making the food product particularly amenable as finger food. The food product can be held by the tip section and dipped into a sauce or gravy similar to that of a fantail shrimp or a prepared crab claw. After consumption of the boneless middle section in one or two bites, the tip section may be conveniently discarded.